


Refuge

by fleurdeliser



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: F/M, Post-Sanctuary
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-26
Updated: 2014-02-26
Packaged: 2018-01-13 21:31:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1241437
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fleurdeliser/pseuds/fleurdeliser
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Sanctuary, Garrus finds Shepard in a location on the Citadel he probably should have expected.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Refuge

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted [here](http://fleurdeliser.tumblr.com/post/77891933067) on tumblr.

After Sanctuary, they went back to the Citadel. Shepard disappeared early in the day, muttering that she had a few things to take care of. Garrus thought nothing of it. He had business with the turian councilor anyway. They usually managed to meet up for lunch on days like this. He’d contact her later. 

She didn’t answer when he tried to contact her about lunch, so he shrugged it off and grabbed a skewer from the nearest dextro vendor. He got lost in data and discussion with the councilor and the primarch about troop deployments and redeployments and it wasn’t until the councilor started packing up to go home that he realized he hadn’t heard from Shepard all day. 

He tried contacting her again, but there was no answer. He frowned and found himself wandering toward Bailey’s office. It didn’t take much more than a suggestion before Bailey was pulling up the log showing where her Spectre status had been logged on the station that day. 

"According to this, she hasn’t left the refugee camps since this morning," Bailey said, eyebrow raised slightly.   
"Thanks, Bailey," Garrus murmured. 

"We all know someone who went to Sanctuary," Bailey said when Garrus was almost to the door. "Not much more we can do now but help the ones that didn’t." 

"Yeah," Garrus said and kept going. 

He nodded at the C-Sec officers in the office at the entrance, scanning for Shepard as he went. He finally found her talking quietly with a young human girl. He leaned against the C-Sec kisok and watched. 

"She’s been here all day," the C-Sec officer working the kiosk murmured. "Talking to people, helping the doctors, playing pick-up biotiball with a few people."

"I didn’t know she played biotiball," Garrus said.

The officer laughed. “I’m not sure I’d call what she did playing, but she tried. Haven’t seen that many smiles down here in a long time.” 

When she looked up, away from the girl, scanning the crowd, assessing, she spotted Garrus and favored him with a smile before she turned back to the girl. Garrus pushed away from the kiosk and went to find Tactus. Perhaps there was something more he could do too. These people deserved a little relief. 

Shepard found him an hour later, moving containers of medigel and dextro rations he’d called in a few favors to have delivered. She beamed at him. “Hey.” 

"Hey there," he replied. "I hear you’ve been busy today. Sad I missed the biotiball. I suppose I could check the extranet. I can’t imagine nobody recorded Commander Shepard playing biotiball with a bunch of refugees." 

She scrunched up her nose at him and then laughed. “Like Miranda said, nobody’s perfect. My skills do not lie in the way of biotiball. But it was fun.” 

"Good," Garrus said. "You deserve some fun every once in a while." 

Her smile softened. “So hey,” she said. “I missed lunch with you. How about I treat you to dinner?” 

"Fine by me," Garrus replied and shoved the last crate into place. "You’re picking this time. The memory of the last time I picked still haunts my dreams." 

Shepard laughed and they walked toward the elevator. “What, you didn’t enjoy the live volus opera while we ate?” 

Garrus laughed and took her hand when the elevator closed. “I’m saying I’ve had much more relaxing meals with my girlfriend.” 

Shepard smiled and squeezed his hand. “One relaxing evening coming right up. And then I have to break the news to Joker that Hackett ordered the _Normandy_ into drydock for repairs and now is probably the best time for it to happen.” 

"Remind me not to be anywhere near the cockpit when that happens," Garrus said with a laugh. Maybe shore leave would mean a few more relaxing evenings. He laughed. Knowing their track record, probably not, but they could hope.


End file.
